Search

Chris Brown’s “breakdown” during his Michael Jackson tribute at the BET Awards*Trigger Warning*
On the last day of the US Social Forum, I ran into an old friend from a campaign I had worked on a few years back. I had seen her on the first day but bee-lined in the other direction. I was dodging her because the only Rose she had ever known was a woman who felt trapped in a domestically violent relationship. I have since left that relationship. Years have passed since then, but I am occasionally haunted by memories when I see an old friend from that era of my life and they ask me the dreaded question, “Are you still with him?”
Blood on my walls. Cops at my doors. Large scars on my back from being pushed on the floor. These are the things I remember with great sadness when my memory is triggered by an old friend’s concern about my present well-being or the sighting of male aggressors of violence. These are the things that ran through my mind when the BET awards showcased Chris Brown, probably one of the most infamous batterers of our generation. And if Chris’s presence alone on a stage that drew 7 million viewers isn’t enough of a stab in the gut, Jermaine Jackson pressed the knife by claiming that it is Chris, in fact, who needs healing.
Ann Powers over at the LA Times also used language that disarmed me. Although Powers conceded that BET airing Chris Brown was problematic, she described Chris as someone who will “forever be in recovery.” It’s as if there has been a pandemic of amnesia and some among us have forgotten who the victim really is here.
America’s conversation about Chris’ conviction of felony assault has officially been shifted to the controversy at play in Chris’ tears. Adding insult to injury were the stars and fans who have been caught on camera cheering on him, his performance and calling Sunday night’s performance a comeback. I can’t help but ask: what about us? What about the women who relive their experiences when a man is given a platform to imply that his pain is greater than the brutality he has inflicted on a woman’s body? What about Rihanna? Where is the tribute for survivors and what has BET done to change the scourge of violence in Black women’s lives?
I am thankful for the presence of male allies who have the courage to stand up and remind us that African-American women ages 15 to 34 die more from the violence of a current or former intimate partner than by anything else.Than By Anything Else. This makes BET’s decision to air Chris a profound act of traitor-ship against women and girls. Plain and simple it was an irresponsible action taken by BET. And this can’t be wanded away by Queen Latifah serving as a host and a two-sentence plug about Dorothy Height. BET owes African American girls and women so much more than a year grace period for one of the most remorseless batterers of our time.

#MeToo detractor Andrew Sullivan is back in New York Magazine this week with his latest gripe about those pesky feminist harpies. This time, he argues, “left-feminists” have gone too far in refusing to accept what Sullivan says is the scientific, biological truth that men are naturally sexually aggressive.

Frankly, Andrew Sullivan hasn’t been relevant since 2011, when he was best known for peddling race science, so you may want to take his “it’s just science!” defenses of the structural inequality with a grain of salt. But he’s not the only #MeToo critic to advance the idea that ...

According to several women’s organizations, 75 women “disappeared” and were murdered in Ciudad Juarez in 2017 alone. After hearing these numbers and learning that femicides were on the rise in Ciudad Juarez (which is notorious for its history of violence against women), members of Las Almas Collective created ¡Ni Una Mas!, a video that denounces gender-based violence and calls for “justicia y dignidad” for victims.

Las Almas Collective is a group of Latina creatives empowering women through culture, art, and music. Their new video opens with the lyrics, “Nunca dejare de buscar, nunca voy a olvidar” (I will never stop looking, I will never forget), introducing us to the collective’s message: “We will never stop searching for the victims of the ongoing femicide ...

According to several women’s organizations, 75 women “disappeared” and were murdered in Ciudad Juarez in 2017 alone. After hearing these numbers and learning that femicides were on the rise in Ciudad Juarez (which is notorious for its

For the past few months, I’ve seen several articles — almost exclusively writtenbywhite women — arguing that we shouldn’t enforce Title IX protections for survivors of sexual assault because the authors believe Black men are more likely to be accused. The narrative has been picked up by numerous media outlets and used by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to strip protections for survivors.

The idea that survivors’ rights are a threat to Black men leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Let me be clear: that’s not because I’m not worried about race discrimination in school discipline. We have no data to support the argument that Black men are more likely to be accused of or ...

For the past few months, I’ve seen several articles — almost exclusively writtenbywhite women — arguing that we shouldn’t enforce Title IX protections for survivors of sexual assault because the authors ...

Search

We need your help!

Get Our Newsletter

New posts and Feministing news delivered to your inbox weekly!

Want to write for us?

All Feministing posts are written by the site’s collective of regular columnists and editors. Though we don’t currently accept guest submissions, we have an open platform Community site to which anyone can contribute. We often promote our favorite Community posts on the main site. And Community bloggers who consistently impress us may to be invited to become regular Feministing columnists..